We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alex Arck a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alex , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Every creative project I’ve had the opportunity to work on has been fulfilling in its own way. But if I had to choose one that stands out, it would be my most recent multimedia release, Arck Industries. The project began as a concept album and later evolved into a science fiction novella.

I started Arck Industries because I needed a break from introspection writing. My previous album, Absurd Hero, dove deep into personal struggles and life lessons. While that kind of writing can be therapeutic, it’s also emotionally exhausting. For the next project, I wanted to create something purely fun that would allow me to explore imaginative, larger-than-life ideas.

I’ve always been a huge fan of fiction, from comic books to sci-fi films, so my goal was to bring a comic book-style narrative to life through music and lyrics. By the time I finished the album, the fictional world I had created had become an obsession and completely taken over my thoughts. I realized there was far more to the story than I could fit into the lyrics alone.

That realization pushed me out of my comfort zone in music and into the world of literature. What was supposed to be a short story quickly grew into a full novella. In the process of expanding the narrative, something unexpected happened; the introspective writing I had been avoiding began to resurface. It found its way into the book’s chapters, reemerging through the voices of the characters.

The result was Arck Industries: Origins, a psychological thriller that explores the creative journey through the lens of fiction. Released as a prequel to the album, it turned out to be the most personally meaningful and creatively rewarding project I’ve taken on so far.

Alex , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Above all else, I consider myself a writer. I enjoy working in a variety of artistic mediums, but whether I’m writing a song, scripting a video, or outlining a narrative, it always starts with the written word. That’s the heart of everything I do: bringing ideas to life through language and story.

My creative journey began with music. I picked up the guitar at age six and was immediately hooked. I was also fascinated by films, books, comics, and all things story-driven. Around age 10 or 11, I discovered Hip-Hop and fell in love with how the genre combines music with vivid imagery and storytelling. I spent my teenage years filling notebooks with lyrics and spoken-word poetry. Most of which would never leave the page, not because I wasn’t proud of it, but because I was heavily introverted. Aside from a few poetry slams, writing remained a private labor of love.

The guitar, however, allowed me to perform without being the center of attention on stage and provided an entry point into the music industry. I spent most of my teens and early twenties playing in bands, recording in studios, and gigging throughout the Midwest. All the while, I kept writing, quietly honing my voice.

Eventually, I realized I’d been holding back parts of myself that needed to be let out. I decided that if I was going to continue making music, I would finally get out of my own way, pick up the microphone, and put my writing at the forefront of my artistic journey. That decision changed everything. It opened the door to deeper self-exploration and led to some of the most meaningful creative projects of my life.

Today, I create multimedia work that blends music, narrative, and visual storytelling. Whether it’s an album, a book, or a concept-driven video, I strive to build immersive experiences that connect emotionally and thematically. What sets my work apart is that it’s personal, even when I’m writing fiction. It’s a lens through which I explore very real questions about identity, purpose, and creative living.

Everything I release is crafted with intention. I’m not just creating content; I’m telling stories that I hope will resonate with others, especially those who have ever felt like outsiders or dreamers. I’m proud of the road I’ve taken to get here, and even more excited for where it’s going next.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I used to put a lot of pressure on myself to create something worth releasing every time I sat down to write. If I wasn’t happy with the end result, I would get discouraged and walk away feeling like I wasted my time.

That changed after reading a few books on creative writing by authors, comedians, and songwriters I admire. Despite coming from different disciplines, they all shared one consistent piece of advice: Write every day, and don’t worry about the outcome. Some days will flow. Others won’t. But consistency is what sharpens the craft.

I realized that was something I had already done as a musician. When I was learning guitar, I never expected every practice session to yield something polished. I was fine with stumbling through scales and chord progressions because I knew I was building muscle memory. But with writing, I had always approached it with the expectation of creating a finished product. I had never thought of writing as something I could just practice for practice sake.

That shift in mindset made all the difference. I started writing every day, no matter what, even if I only had ten minutes to spare. Taking the pressure off allowed me to explore ideas freely without immediately judging them. Learning to separate the creative phase from the editing phase has led to some of my strongest work.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

One thing I wish I had realized earlier is that you can teach yourself just about any skill using the internet, regardless of how complex or intimidating it may seem. If you’re willing to put in the time, you can give yourself a Harvard-level education from your own home, for free.

Growing up, I struggled with severe ADHD and mild dyslexia. By the time I reached my freshman year of high school, I was three years behind in reading. My teachers and counselors suggested holding me back a grade. Fortunately, there was an experimental alternative education program at my school that focused on literacy in a very different way. My counselors agreed to let me try it for a semester before making a final decision. That class changed everything. Instead of teaching words by memorization, they focused on the why and explained spelling patterns, word origins, and linguistic rules. That approach made sense to me. It matched how my brain works. Within one semester, I advanced three grade levels and got back on track.

That experience taught me a powerful lesson: our traditional education system is built to serve the majority, and anyone who learns differently often gets labeled as a problem. But the internet doesn’t have that limitation. Online, there are endless resources, and if one explanation doesn’t click, you can always find another. There’s room to explore, adapt, and learn in your own way.

Everything I do creatively and professionally, I taught myself through video tutorials, books, and trial and error. If I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be this: if someone tells you you’re not smart enough to learn something, what they’re really saying is they’re not equipped to teach you. Discovering your learning style is your responsibility, and it can unlock everything.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alexarck.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arckmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arckmusic
• Twitter: https://www.instagram.com/arckmusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@arckmusic
• Other: TikTok
  

  @alexarck

  Spotify
  

  Bandcamp
  https://alexarck.bandcamp.com/

Image Credits

📷Kya Liann
🎨 Ipunk